A WHITE TIGER'S TALE

LODI - Bob Ringo cringed while peering through a window into the surgery room at Lodi's Arbor Pet Clinic on Tuesday, watching as his 16-year-old white tiger Twix underwent a tail amputation.

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By Keith Reid

recordnet.com

By Keith Reid

Posted Dec. 5, 2012 at 12:01 AM

By Keith Reid

Posted Dec. 5, 2012 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

LODI - Bob Ringo cringed while peering through a window into the surgery room at Lodi's Arbor Pet Clinic on Tuesday, watching as his 16-year-old white tiger Twix underwent a tail amputation.

Ringo, 62, raised Twix since birth at his Cave Junction, Ore., Tiger Preservation Center. He was heartbroken on Thanksgiving when another tiger clawed and bit Twix's tail, leaving major gashes in the appendage. After being injured, the 300-pound cat would not leave the injury alone, and tried to lick it until it healed. The tail became infected.

"I can't bear to watch it," Ringo said. "I'd be in there if it was something else. But, this ... this is hard to watch."

Twix is said to be a "sweetheart" that enjoys human interaction. She suffered a back injury four years ago that made her slow enough to put her in a position where she could not avoid the Thanksgiving day tail injury.

The Tuesday surgery was performed by Dr. Richard Turner at his Lodi office. Turner has become known as one of the top big cat veterinarians in the northwest. Ringo said Oregon veterinarians don't have the expertise or desire to work on large cats.

So, Ringo and a friend put Twix in the back of a minivan and drove 400 miles for the surgery. The 3-foot long tail has a diameter of about four inches at the base. Turner worked to cauterize the veins and safely remove the tail of the sedated tiger. The tail would be sent for cremation.

Turner's staff performed a dental cleaning at the same time.

"Dr. Turner and Dr. Lindsay Phillips are the best," Ringo said. Phillips is a former University of California, Davis veterinarian that assisted Turner on Tuesday's surgery.

Ringo's Tiger Preservation Center is a non-profit rescue. There are 12 tigers, two lions, and a leopard living at the shelter, Ringo said.

Turner said he's proud to be able to perform surgeries and dental work on tigers and other large cats because most species are either endangered or close to being endangered. He said white tigers are under siege in other parts of the world, and lion bones are used for aphrodisiacs, which leads to poaching.

White tigers are Bengal tigers. Their color comes from a recessive gene that makes their fur white with black stripes instead of orange with black stripes. They are rare, but can be found in India.

"We got everything taken care of, and I don't think there's going to be any swelling. She's all ready for recovery and heading back home," Turner said.

For more information on the Tiger Preservation Center visit tigerpreservationcenter.com.